Category: Apple Cell Phone batteriey

Waiting on an expected fix from Apple, iPhone 4S users complaining of rapid battery drain are coming up with their own witches’ brews to keep their new handsets from dying before the end of the day. Users started complaining of the poor battery life shortly after the iPhone 4S debuted, but recently the gripes have grown louder.
Home-grown solutions for the iPhone 4S battery dilemma include dropping push e-mail, lowering the screen brightness, turning off calendar notifications, and shutting down Wi-Fi when not in use. Or, to put it another way, iPhone 4S users have discovered sensible battery life management practices.

Apple has yet to officially address the iPhone 4S battery issue, but The Guardian reports that Apple engineers are on the case and contacting users directly to gather more information about the issue. Calls to several Apple Stores for help resulted in suggestions to make a Genius Bar appointment or were directed to an AppleCare hotline with a constant busy signal.

This is not the first time Apple has had to deal with iPhone battery life issues. In 2010, users complained of battery life issues after upgrading to iOS4 and 3GS owners complained of battery issues in 2009 when the device debuted.

DIY Battery LifeCritics and users impatient for an official statement from Apple about the iPhone 4S are trying to solve the battery drain problem on their own. The most popular culprit found so far is a feature in the iPhone 4S’s Location Services that lets a phone discover its time zone automatically. The feature can be switched off by opening the iPhone 4S’s Settings app (the gray cog) and selecting Location Services > System Services (at the very bottom of the screen) > Setting Time Zone.

But that’s not the only solution. Apple’s  battery support forum thread on the iPhone 4S battery issue is replete with creative concoctions for battery-saving techniques. This morning, there are 2388 comments and more than 157,000 views on the Apple support forum thread dealing with the iPhone 4S battery life issue. 
One user named TonyLukes3 disabled location-based iAds (but left Setting Time Zone on), reduced his screen display brightness to 85 percent, turned off iCloud for Photo Stream and “Documents & Data,” and switched his push e-mail setting to automatically fetch mail every 15 minutes.

WymJamesfound a winning combo by doing a full restore of his iPhone 4S from iTunes, disabling Setting Time Zone, and turning off calendar notifications from Notification Center (Settings > Notifications > Calendar). Echoing similar sentiments, Sam81 turned off calendar notifications for his two exchange accounts and then restarted the device.
Not to be outdone, angrywaiter’s mix of battery saving techniques included switching off “location crap,” calendar notifications, using fetch mail instead of push, and turning off the Wi-Fi radio when not in use. Angrywaiter also dealt with the issue by resetting his phone, which he says he’s done six times over the last four days.

The iPhone 4S batteryIt’s not clear if any of the shared solutions identified the actual cause of the iPhone 4S’s reported battery problems, or if users are simply being turned on to good battery management practices. Lowering your screen brightness, turning off the Wi-Fi radio when not in use, or opting for fetch mail instead of push are common ways to extendiPhone battery life for any phone.

Users are forever in search of the best smartphone that has longer battery life. Gone are the days where batteries are easily replaceable. Today, we have to be conscious of our battery usage to minimize the expensive professional service that comes with smartphones.

Almost all smartphones are equipped with lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries and while we all use the same type, no battery has the same lifespan. It all depends on our habits and how we use our phones that can determine how long can we keep the health of our smartphone batteries.
Best Practices to keep your Smartphone Battery Healthy
If you have been with your smartphone for more than a year, you might notice that batteries don’t last long compared to when it was brand new. Down the line, many phones can’t make it through a day with a single charge.

There are various ways to extend your phone battery lifespan. You might be familiar with it or it might sound new to you, but here are some best practices you can follow to keep your smartphone battery healthy:

Partial ChargingMost of us are guilty of fully charging our phones out of habit but in reality, it’s bad for the battery. Also, some are using their phones until the battery goes 0 percent before plugging it in, which should be avoided.
The best way to charge your phone and extend its lifespan is to charge it partially and frequently. For example, you can charge it for up to 80% and use it until it goes to 20% before charging it again. With this charging cycle, you can improve your smartphone’s battery life.
Avoid Extreme HeatLi-ion batteries don’t respond well to heat or extreme cold. If you are located in a cold area, its’ best to use thick phone cases that can keep it warm. For hot weather, don’t leave your phone exposed to sunlight. Heat is the worst enemy for Li-on batteries while cold might damage its health temporarily.
It’s best practice not to leave or store your mobile device in an enclosed space where there’s minimum ventilation as it raises the phone’s temperature, especially inside a hot car.

Decrease Screen BrightnessTurning down your screen brightness will save energy. Your smartphone screen is the component that uses battery the most. For iOS and Android devices, it gives you an option to automatically reduce the screen brightness when there’s light, though it still uses a light sensor. It’s advisable to disable auto-brightness.
You probably don’t require the full brightness, so manually setting your screen’s brightness depending on the ambient lighting is best recommended and will save your phone battery life.
Avoid Using Phone While ChargingMost people can’t keep away from their phones because it’s now considered a necessity. However, when it’s charging, it is better to avoid using it. When you use apps that require a large proportion of battery to operate, it’s consuming a lot of energy, thus reducing your battery life in the process.
It can also lead to overheating the device and as mentioned earlier, heat is the worst enemy for Li-on batteries. The best solution is to turn it off while charging, or if it’s really necessary to use it, then keep the workload very light when your phone is plugged in.

Avoid Using Non-Compatible Charging CablesThe most common practice people do is to use a counterfeit or third-party charging cable. You might think that you are saving some money because you bought it for a lower price, but it can seriously harm your smartphone battery.
Accessories that are not manufactured by the original provider are made of cheap materials that don’t work the same way as the original cables. Ensure that you are only using the right charging cables to protect not only your battery but also your smartphones.
Reduce Screen Timeout or Auto-LockSimilar to laptops or computers, your mobile’s screen can automatically turn off if not in use. You can save energy by reducing the screen timeout or auto-lock by 1 minute or even 30 seconds. Both iPhones and Androids have these features and it’s easy to set up.

Check Your AppsAll smartphone apps use power and data even if they are not in use, like Facebook. To extend your battery life, disable the background refresh activities of apps that aren’t crucial and do it regularly. When apps update, some new features are added and might consume more energy, so you’ll notice your battery draining. Make it a bit to monitor apps that consumes power even if you don’t use them.

Nowadays, Lithium-ion battery technology is more understood, but some myths remain in our consciousness. While most of the habit doesn’t severely impact your smartphone’s battery life, the decrease in removable batteries should be a reminder that we need to take precautions to prolong our smartphone’s battery life.

The average smartphone batteries is unlikely to explode, but it happens.There’s not much you can do if shoddy hardware is to blame, but these tips may help prevent your phone from going up in smoke.
Sometimes smartphones explode. In January 2023, an iPhone 4 caught fire while charging overnight. A child in India was killed when a Redmi Note 5 Pro reportedly blew up in her face. In July, a man’s phone exploded on an Air India flight, causing an emergency landing.

The likelihood of your cell Phone Battery exploding is slim, but it happens, as demonstrated by Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 fiasco a few years back. But why does it happen and what, if anything, can you do to avoid it?
Why Do Smartphones Explode?

There are many reasons a smartphone may catch fire or explode, and it almost always has to do with the device’s battery. Modern mobile devices are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which contain a careful balance of positive and negative electrodes to allow for recharging. When something goes wrong, the inner components of the battery can break down and create a volatile reaction that can lead to fires.

This can happen for multiple reasons, but the most common problem is excessive heat. If a charging battery or overworked processor becomes too hot too quickly, it can ruin the chemical makeup of the phone’s components. With batteries, a chain reaction called thermal runaway can cause the battery to generate even more heat and eventually catch fire or explode.
The reason for your phone overheating will vary. Physical damage—the kind sustained from a fall or excessive bending—can disrupt the inner workings of the battery. Leaving the phone out in the sun for too long, malware overworking the CPU, or a charging debacle can all cause short circuiting within the device.

Or it could be something outside your direct control. Batteries degrade over time, so if a device has been used for several years—like the iPhone 4 that caught fire—it’s possible for the internal components to fade, leading to swelling and overheating. As was the case with the Galaxy Note 7, an issue with the phone’s production may be to blame, which you can’t really account for.
You may not get a warning, but if you hear hissing or popping sounds coming from the phone or smell burning plastic or chemicals, it may be damaged and on the verge of exploding. (Don’t put your face near it, obviously.) Similarly, look out for excessive heat coming from the device, especially when charging. If it’s burning hot to the touch, unplug it immediately.

Another big warning sign is a swollen battery, which can happen if it has been damaged or internal components have degraded. Look out for any changes in your device’s shape, including a protruding screen, an enlarged seam, or a distended chassis that may cause the phone to no longer sit flush with a flat surface.
We nearly blew up an aging Android phone while trying to remove all traces of Google services in 2019. All we got for our trouble was a bulging battery.
Most modern smartphones no longer allow you to remove the battery, so if you’re concerned about your device, turn it off and take it in for service immediately.

Can You Prevent Your Phone From Exploding?

melted android phone(Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd)While there are steps you can take to alleviate some of the strain you may put on your phone’s battery, there’s not a whole lot you can do if the issue is a manufacturing defect. Batteries must be rigorously tested for faulty components, butly cheap made units may possessions imperfect that can cause a phone to overheat.

In the case of the Note 7, a design flaw was to blame; there was nothing the average consumer could do to fix it. There’s no quick fix when it comes to shoddy construction. The same goes for that iPhone 4 batteries naturally degrade over time and will ultimately need to be replaced.